SynthesisPloS one2019
A systematic review of complementary and alternative medicine in oncology: Psychological and physical effects of manipulative and body-based practices.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05067777 (Massage for Prostate Cancer-Related Fatigue), which is not on this map. Cited by 17 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Massage for Prostate Cancer-Related Fatigue (mPROSTATE)
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effectiveness of manual interventions on overall symptoms, pain and quality of life in patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Perception, attitudes, knowledge of using complementary and alternative medicine for cancer patients among healthcare professionals: A mixed-methods systematic review.Cancer medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Psychosocial implications of rare genetic skin diseases affecting appearance on daily life experiences, emotional state, self-perception and quality of life in adults: a systematic review.Orphanet journal of rare diseases · 2023Pooled it
- CAMONCO 2: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Open Dialogue About Complementary Alternative Medicine and Standard Care on Patients' Quality of Life.JCO oncology practice · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Integrative Management of Cancer Pain: A Scoping Review of the Literature.Cancer medicine · 2025Article
- Determining the Completeness of Registration and Reporting in Systematic Reviews of Yoga for Health.Journal of integrative and complementary medicine · 2024Review
- Complementary and alternative medicine use among cancer patients in Iran: A systematic review.Preventive medicine reports · 2024Article
- A review of the WHO strategy on traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine from the perspective of academic consortia for integrative medicine and health.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Review
- Role of integrative medicine in the continuum of care of breast cancer patients in the Indian context.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2021Review
- Awareness and Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Korean Lung Cancer Patients.Tuberculosis and respiratory diseases · 2021Article
- [Cardiovascular fitness in oncology : Exercise and sport].Der Internist · 2020Review
- Complementary and alternative medicine use in coronary heart disease patients: a cross-sectional study from Palestine.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2020Article
- Use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with cancer in a sub-Himalayan state in India: An exploratory study.Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicineArticle
- A Qualitative Study of the Pain Experience of Black Individuals With Cancer Taking Long-Acting Opioids.Cancer nursingArticle
- The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine on Cancer-Related Fatigue in Adults: An Overview of Systematic Reviews.Integrative cancer therapiesReview
- Integrative Naturopathic Treatment Model for Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Study.Global advances in integrative medicine and healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundComplementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) are widely used by cancer patients, despite limited evidence of efficacy. Manipulative and body-based practices are some of the most commonly used CAM. This systematic review evaluates their benefits in oncology.
methodA systematic literature review was carried out with no restriction of language, time, cancer location or type. PubMed, CENTRAL, PsycArticle, PsychInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection and SOCindex were queried. Inclusion criteria were adult cancer patients and randomized controlled trials (RCT) assessing manipulative and body-based complementary practices on psychological and symptom outcomes. Effect size was calculated when applicable.
resultsOf 1624 articles retrieved, 41 articles were included: massage (24), reflexology (11), acupressure (6). Overall, 25 studies showed positive and significant effects on symptom outcomes (versus 9 that did not), especially pain and fatigue. Mixed outcomes were found for quality of life (8 papers finding a significant effect vs. 10 which did not) and mood (14 papers vs. 13). In most studies, there was a high risk of bias with a mean Jadad score of 2, making interpretation of results difficult.
conclusionThese results seem to indicate that manipulative CAM may be effective on symptom management in cancer. However, more robust methodologies are needed. The methodological requirements of randomized controlled trials are challenging, and more informative results may be provided by more pragmatic study design.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.